Chapter 87: The Hundred Names, Success

Lu Yang lowered the curtain and leaned back against the carriage wall, quietly listening to the sounds outside.

The closer they got to the examination hall, the denser the crowd became. Eventually, even the spacious roads of the Imperial Capital seemed somewhat crowded.

Countless carriages moved slowly through the streets.

Some were luxurious, decorated with exquisite carvings and bearing the insignias of prominent clans, while others were simple wooden carriages that had clearly been rented for the occasion.

There were also scholars walking on foot, some holding books, some carrying their luggage, some walking alongside family members, and some surrounded by servants and guards.

After traveling for some time, the carriage finally slowed.

Lu Yang lifted the curtain again, his eyes falling upon the examination hall.

Indeed, just as he had heard, it was enormous.

The outer walls were built entirely from blackstone and mysterious wood, with various materials mixed into the construction.

The blackstone gave the entire examination hall a solemn feeling. There were no other unnecessary decorations.

It was only an imposing structure standing quietly in the near center of the Imperial Capital, not far from the Forbidden City.

Even from a distance, one could feel the majesty surrounding it.

Lu Yang looked around curiously.

There were countless people gathered outside, practically a sea of people in the tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands.

The scene was even more crowded than the streets they had passed through.

Yet, strangely enough, the actual examinees were extremely few, being less than a thousand.

Lu Yang naturally understood why.

Only Juren were qualified to participate in the Imperial Examination, and becoming a Juren already required passing the Provincial Examination.

Great Qian was immensely vast. Its territory covered many prefectures and several provinces, and there were countless scholars throughout the dynasty, however, it wasn’t boundless, and the Imperial Examination didn’t need all of these scholars.

Only the best among them could advance.

In every Provincial Examination, only the top hundred scholars were qualified to participate in the Imperial Examination.

This meant that every scholar standing before this examination hall had already surpassed countless others.

They were among the top literary talents of the entire dynasty.

Even those who failed today had already achieved something that most scholars could never achieve in their entire lives.

Lu Yang looked at the crowd, finding the contrast rather interesting.

Hundreds of thousands of people, but less than a thousand actual examinees.

Most of the remaining people were the examinees’ family members, friends, servants, ordinary people who had come to watch the commotion, minor officials, merchants, and young masters and young misses from prominent clans and noble families.

For some, this examination determined the fate of their families, but for others, it was simply an opportunity to make connections and profits.

Lu Yang glanced at the surrounding carriages.

There were quite a few familiar family insignias, belonged to aristocratic clans, noble families, and even officials.

The Imperial Capital was truly a gathering place for the powerful.

At this moment, a bell suddenly rang.

*Dong!*

The sound was deep and powerful, spreading throughout the entire area.

The enormous crowd immediately quieted down, and the scholars who had been speaking to their families also fell silent.

The moment had arrived. The examination was about to begin.

Lu Shishui stepped out of the carriage before looking back.

Lu Yang was standing beside Aunt Lin.

For a moment, father and son looked at each other.

Then, Lu Shishui smiled faintly.

"Yang’er, I’ll be gone for a while."

Lu Yang nodded.

"I’ll wait for Father."

Lu Shishui smiled again.

"Good."

He didn’t say anything else, turning around and walking towards the examination hall.

Lu Yang watched as his father turned around and joined the other scholars.

One by one, they began walking towards the examination hall. The crowd parted naturally to clear the way for them.

There were less than a thousand people, yet at this moment, their presence was immensely extraordinary.

Every one of them had studied for many years, passed the Provincial Examination, and come from somewhere in Great Qian after enduring countless hardships.

Some had traveled thousands of miles and spent most of their family’s savings, while some had been preparing for decades.

Lu Yang watched his father’s back gradually move farther away, a faint sense of expectation appearing within his heart.

It would be good if he passed, and he didn’t, then there was nothing to say.

Lu Yang wasn’t particularly worried about his future. He wasn’t relying on his father to support him for the rest of his life.

As long as he continued cultivating, there would eventually come a day when he could protect himself.

Perhaps one day, he might even be able to help his father.

A Qi Sea Realm cultivator in Great Qian possessed a status comparable to a Third-Rank Official of the Imperial Court.

Such a person was already a genuine powerhouse.

If Lu Yang eventually reached a sufficiently high realm, his father’s political position might not even matter anymore.

But that was something for the future.

Lu Yang watched until his father’s figure disappeared into the examination hall, only then turning around.

"Aunt Lin, where are we going now?"

Aunt Lin smiled, "We’ll stay at an inn nearby."

She had already made the arrangements long ago, Lu Hai had specifically instructed her to do so.

The Imperial Examination would last for more than ten days.

It would be troublesome to travel back and forth between the residence and the examination hall, and the Imperial Capital was extremely crowded during this period.

Therefore, staying nearby was the most convenient choice.

Aunt Lin quickly found the inn she had booked weeks ago

Right now, the prices of inns were naturally more expensive than usual, but since she had booked it several weeks earlier, it was no issue.

The inn was also filled with people waiting for their relatives.

Some families had brought entire groups of servants and others had only one or two people. There were also merchants who had come to the capital specifically because of the examination.

The Imperial Examination was not merely a political event, but also a massive commercial opportunity.

Food, lodging, transportation, books, clothing, medicinal herbs, everything became more expensive.

The entire Imperial Capital seemed to revolve around those thousand scholars in this period of time.

Lu Yang found it somewhat amusing.

He had lived in the cultivation world for two lifetimes, seen sect recruitment ceremonies and great auctions, and once even participated in a battle involving Essence Gathering cultivators.

But somehow, watching a group of scholars enter an examination hall was also rather interesting.

Perhaps because it was so different from his previous experiences, it was quite refreshing.

...

The first few days passed quietly.

Lu Yang stayed at the inn with Aunt Lin and occasionally went outside with her to wander about.

Oftentimes he just cultivated, sometimes reading some books for a switch of pace, and other times he simply sat by the window and watched the crowds.

To everyone around him, he was still a six year old child who had only reached the First Stage of Body Tempering Realm.

Occasionally, Aunt Lin would ask him to be careful when walking around, to which Lu Yang would simply smile and nod.

He didn’t need her protection, but he didn’t reject it either.

This was perhaps one of the few advantages of being a child.

People naturally cared for him, and he didn’t have to be serious at all times, living quite a carefree life.

The days continued passing like this.

The examination itself was divided into different parts.

The literary examination lasted nine days and eight nights.

The scholars remained inside the examination hall for that entire period.

They had to write, think, eat, and sleep in the small cabinet assigned to them.

Then came the martial examination, examining their cultivation base and combat power, which added another day and night.

Ten days and nine nights, that was the entire examination period.

Lu Yang couldn’t help sighing when he learned the exact details.

Even ordinary Body Tempering cultivators would find it mentally exhausting, and these scholars had to maintain concentration for such a long period while being isolated from the outside world.

The physical requirements were only one part, but the mental pressure was much greater.

After all, they knew that the paper they were writing might determine the next several decades of their lives.

Lu Yang could understand why Great Qian required Juren to possess at least middle stage Body Tempering cultivation.

...

Ten days passed at last.

On the final day, Lu Yang stood outside the examination hall, with Aunt Lin standing beside him.

Around them was the same sea of people that had gathered ten days ago, perhaps even more than before, all waiting for their friends, companions, and relatives to come out.

Lu Yang looked towards the enormous examination hall.

He wasn’t nervous, but he was still somewhat curious.

His father had always been confident in his own abilities, but the Imperial Examination wasn’t something that could be guaranteed.

There were too many talented people participating; even someone who had passed the Provincial Examination could fail here multiple times.

Time passed slowly, and before long...

*Dong!*

The familiar bell rang once again.

The enormous doors of the examination hall slowly opened.

The crowd immediately became restless.

One scholar walked out after another with varying expressions.

Some were exhausted and pale, some looked relieved or disappointed, and some just stood there blankly.

The sea of people surged forward almost like a tide.

Lu Yang remained where he was, holding onto Aunt Lin’s hand.

Soon enough, a familiar figure walked out from the crowd.

Lu Shishui’s azure scholar’s robe was somewhat wrinkled and his hair were slightly disheveled, his face carrying obvious exhaustion.

Even a Sixth Stage Body Tempering cultivator couldn’t completely ignore ten days of mental strain.

Lu Yang’s eyes brightened as he called out loudly.

"Father!"

Lu Shishui looked over at the sound.

The moment he saw his son, his tired expression vanished, a smile appearing on his face as he walked over.

Coming up to him, he squatted down and picked Lu Yang up.

Lu Yang didn’t resist, raising his small hands and beginning to gently massage his father’s shoulders.

"Father, are you tired?"

Lu Shishui laughed, "A little."

Lu Yang continued massaging, seemingly exerting his utmost strength.

"Was the examination difficult?"

Lu Shishui smiled mysteriously.

"You’ll see."

Lu Yang blinked, "You won’t tell me?"

His father shook his head, saying nothing.

Lu Yang also didn’t ask further, understanding what his father meant.

The results hadn’t been announced yet. No matter what he said now, it wouldn’t matter. Therefore, there was no need to speculate, they simply had to wait.

...

Three days later, the results were finally posted.

The Imperial Capital completely erupted.

The list of successful candidates was displayed outside the examination hall.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered, searching for names.

The scene was extremely chaotic.

Lu Yang stood beside Lu Shishui, who looked strangely calm.

Perhaps he was afraid that showing too much expectation would make the disappointment greater.

Lu Yang glanced at the huge list, slowly moving his gaze downward as one name after another entered his field of vision.

Each candidate’s name was written by themselves in their unique handwriting before they exited the examination hall.

It was so two people with the same name wouldn’t be confused and have to verify multiple times when the result came out.

Of course, such a thing wouldn’t happen due to such a simple mistake because of the various authentication processes and background checks ran by the Imperial Court on each person participating in these examinations.

There, Lu Yang finally saw it.

The name of his father, Lu Shishui, was prominently listed among the hundred successful candidates.